Ribut.

When I was little my neighbour called me Ribut anak Guntur. Since she lived next door, it wasn't out of the norma for her calling out for Ribut in late afternoon to call me out to play. Funny thing as to why she called me Ribut anak Guntur was that she said I was adopted. She and a hundred other mothers who saw me when I was little 'cos they said I looked different than the rest. I may bear some resemblance to my sister but when you put us next to each other, the uncles we visited during Hari Raya just find it awestruckingly weird that I was my mother's child. Some would even claim that my mother was bluffing when she said I'm her third child.

This has led to a lot of discussions like did my mom accidentally mistook a Chinese baby for her baby when they took me out of the baby room in Shell Clinic? Or, did my mother simply hated the Japanese who did construction at the old Electra House in Miri so much that whenever she passes by she would curse the Japs and wished that they would go back to Japan and it was God's way of getting back at her? "HAHA your baby looks like one of those Japs you dismissed when you were pregnant. Burn!!"

Kidding on the last part, but of course.

I have yet to comprehend as to why the neighbour called me Ribut anak Guntur, as it is an Iban's name 'cos I looked a hell lot like a Cina if not Jepun or Korea. It didn't bother me though, being called Ribut. I thought it was cool.

As years surpasses my little toddler feet and bushy brows, the same neighbour who called me Ribut anak Guntur few years ago started calling me Erra Fazira instead. I didn't ask why but she said we have the same eyes. .. the hell?

Anyway the whole intention of this story is that we're experiencing the year's end ribut now and it reminded me of my toddler mute self.

Be careful on the road, dear darlings.



'Sup!